Improvement in disintegrating and separating fibers of hemp, flax



NrTnD STATES PATENT Orricn.v

JIM. B. FULLER, OF OLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JAMES P. UPHAM, QF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN DlSlNTEGRATING AND SEPARATING FIBERS 0F HENIP, FLAX, dc-

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 4l 8 13, dated March l, 1864.V

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JIM. B. FULLER, of Claremont, in the county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful method of separating the bers of hemp, flax, and similar materials 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawing, makingpart of this specication, wherein I have represented a vertical section of an apparatus made use of in carrying out my said method.

In the separation of the fibrous from the Woody portions of flax, hemp, Ste., it has been usual to ret the same, in order that the gummy matters that cause the ber to adhere to the stalk may be destroyed, and then said material has been dried so that the woody portions could be easily brokenV and shaken out of the hanks of the ber. The disadvantages of these operations are well known, for the retting process makes the bers more diicult to bleach, and great trouble is still experienced in separating the ultimate bers of the ax or hemp, because they are so line and retained together by gummy and silicious matters between the bers.

The nature of 'my said invention consists, first, in softening the woody portions of flax, hemp, Ste., by steam or hot water under pressure in connection with a pressing operation that acts lengthwise of the ber to expel a portion of the resinous and foreign matter, (that has been softened and dissolved by said heat and moisture,) split open the stalk, and press the .woody portions and bers together Without pulling apart or breaking the ber. This operation causes the removal to a large extent of the coloring-matter in the green stalk, also the softening and removal of the gums and silicious matter, and the prying apart and separation of the bers bythe woody particles pressed in between them.

The second part of my process consists in rubbing the bers between suitable moving or rubbing surfaces while in a softened state in the presence of' sufcient heat and moisture to cause the separation of the woody particles from the ber and the separation of the ber itself to the necessary degree of neness; and in this connection I employ superheated steam, whereby I obtain the temperature necessaryv for the complete dissolving of the gum; my and silicious matters at the atmospheric pressure; and I wash the fiber for conveying away the ne woody particles and the resinous and silicious matter either during the'use ofsuperheated steam or immediately following the same. I prefer to wash the ber. with hot Water, but cold may be employed, because the woody particles rubbed up so finely produce a complete separation of the ber to its ultimate neness, or nearly so, and prevent such bers adhering to each other if cooled.

In the drawing, a is a curing-vessel of suitable size and shape. I prefer that it be formed with two parallel sides at a distance apart corresponding to the length of stalk introduced,`inl order that said stalks may be introduced at rightangles to the plane of the'section represented. bis a man-hole plate or cover provided for closing this curing-vessel after the charge has been introduced. The vessel c is formed With an inclined side, whereby the contents maybe directed to the long opening or channel c that descends to the rollers d and e. sizes, or driven by different sized gears, in

order that the surfaces may move at different velocities; and f is a fork parallel with the axis of these rollersthat is, moved up and down the channel c by a rod, l,y or otherpdevice operated on by suitable mechanism. The rollers d and e are also driven by suitable mechanism, and are to be incased and provided with springs or weighted levers, so that they will yield to obstructions.

g is a pipe for the admissionpf steam, and his a pipe for the admission of water, both being provided with gates or cocks to regulate the amount supplied.

The operation of this part of the apparatus is as follows :A The stock of flax, hemp, or similar material is to be packed into the vessel a,

as before described, and, if the rollers d c are These rollers d and e are of different i through the machine. I

gums and woody portion ofthe said material. The rollers el and e and fork f are then set in motion, and the stalks or vegetable material supplied to and squeezed by the rollersd e, and the fiber going throughsaid rollers nearly parallel to the axes ot' said rollers is not injured by the pressure, and the woody portion is laid open by said rollers in consequence of one traveling faster than the other and producing a rubbing motion, and the softened and dissolved gums, coloring and silicious matter, are to a considerable extent squeezed onto and removed by the rollers; and this operation may be repeated, or more than one pair of rollers be employed, either with or without hot water or steam applied to the fiber between such pairs of rollers.

` The rubbin g operation next performed is et'- fected by two corrugated surfaces,z' and 1.-, which may both reciprocate 5 but l have shown one stationary and forming the top ofa steamchest, l, and provided with perforations, whereby steam is allowed to escape and come into di rect contact with the fiber while being rubbed between the surt'acesz' and k. on is a connect ingrod, by means of which k can be reciproeated by competent mechanism.

n a are bars resting upon the upper snrt'ace ofthe rubber 7i', and o o are springs applied to the same to keep the rubber ls to the rubber t'. Springrollers might be substituted for these bars and perform the same oiiice. The rubber It' may be hinged at p in order that the material may be more easily entered between said surfaces, and the corrugatlons iu snchsurfaces should be made as shown, in order to cause the material to progress regularly The softened tibrous material is passed in between these rubbing-surfaces with the tibers parallel or nearly so `to the eorrugations, and the action to which it is exposed between these two surfaces rubs the fibers apart without. breaking, injuring, or entangling them, and the woody particles present aid in this operation.r The steam admitted into the chest l and l passing upon the fiber under treatment maintains'the heat and moisture necessary for a perfect separation ot' the bers, and it desired water may be supplied in a similar manner for washing awa-y the tine woody particles or other foreign matter, and squeezing-rollers` is ofthe temperature required for acting on the material to the best advantage, and, in order to regulate this temperatur e., the steam may be admitted from a boiler ata given pressure, or be passed through a coiled pipe in a furnace to superheat said steam 5 or steam from both such sources may commingle in regulated quantities in the chest l.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Separating the gummy and silicious substances from vegetable fiber when softened by heat and moisture by pressing out such dissolved and watery substances by rollers or other suitable mechanism acting lengthwise of the fiber, substantially as specified.

2. Subjetting the vegetable ber when in a softened state to the action of rollers whose surfaces move at different velocities, for the purposes and substantially as specified.

3. The application to the fibers ot' flax, hemp, or other substances while being rubbed for their separation of `jets of steam ot' the required tem peratnre, for the purposes and substantially as speciticd.

Dated December 26, 1863.

JIM. B. FULLER.

Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, Tues. Guo. HAROLD. 

